Greenhouse-bench.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

I R. 0. KING. GREENHOUSE BENCH. PLIOATION FILED DEC. 1 19 R. DLKING.

GREENHOUSE BENCH.

AFPLIGATION FILED D30. 1. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@Mai PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GREENHOUSE-BENCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed December 1,1906. Serial No. 345,924.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT 0. KING, of North Tonawanda, in the county ofNiagara and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Greenhouse- Benches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to benches designed more particularly for use ingreenhouses for growing flowers and plants, where the conditions aresuch as to demand a strong and durable structure.

The invention consists broadly in constructing the body of the bench inthe form of a trussed frame, embodying horizontal supporting cross-bars,on which the bottom of the bench, preferably in the form of tiles orslabs, is sustained in such manner that the Weight of the load willthrough the medium of the trussed frame subject the bottom tocompression edgewise, the bottom thus constituting in effect the upperor compression side of a trussed beam.

The invention consists also in the details of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of agreenhouse bench embodying my invention, portions being broken away toexpose other parts to view, and a number of tiles forming the bottombeing shown in place. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section throughthe same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line aa of Fig. 1,showing how the side boards are held in position.

In the accompanying drawings, I have represented only so much of myimproved bench as will be necessary to illustrate the principles ofconstruction involved.

In practice, the bench may be extended as a continuous structure forwhatever length desired, this extension involving merely the lengtheningof the structure without chang ing its principles of construction. Inother words, the bench may be lengthened to any extent desired bybuilding it up progressively on the same principles involved in a singleelement or portion.

The frame comprises a number of horizontal transverse supportingcross-bars A A A and A in the present instance four in number, and eachconsisting of a length of commercial T-iron with a horizontal flange aand a vertical central web a. The two outer bars A A are preferably ofheavier material than the others, and constitute the outer limits orends of a single complete element, of a plurality of which thecontinuous lengthened structure is made up. These crossbars are sodisposed that the horizontal flanges will present horizontal supportingledges a and a on opposite sides of the vertical web extending upwardtherefrom, which ledges are adapted to receive and give support to asectional bottom, the sections of which are in the form of tiles orslabs, as will be more fully described later on. The crossbars arespaced apart and firmly connected in fixed relations by means of anumber of tension truss-rods B B B and B in the present instance four,extending longitudinally parallel with each other. At their oppositeends these tension rods are extended through the vertical webs of thetwo end cross-bars A A and have nuts or heads applied to their ends.Between these points the tension rods extend beneath the intermediatecrossbars A A against which they are braced by means of vertical strutsC clamped at their upper ends around the lower flanges of thecross-bars, and formed in their lower ends with sockets in which thetension rods are seated. At this point it is to be observed that theintermediate cross bars are sustained wholly by the truss rods throughthe intermediary struts C, whereby the weight of the load on the benchwill tend to press the trusses downward between their ends and thus drawthe end bars a 0. toward each other, as and for a purpose more fullyhereinafter explained.

The bottom of the bench, as before stated, is made up of a series ofsections either in the form of tiles D, such as shown to the left inFig. 1, or slabs E, such as shown to the right in said figure, thesesections D or E, which are seated at their ends on the horizontal ledgesa a of the cross bars, being arranged closely side by side and in rowsdisposed end to end, thus completely filling the space between the barsand conjointly forming for IOO the bench a continuous bottom, of whichthe intermediate sections and the inner ends of the terminal sectionsare supported by the intermediate downwardly yielding cross bars. Underthis construction and arrangement, the sectional bottom constitutes ineffect the upper or compression side of a trussed beam, in that, owingto the bottom being sustained between its ends by the bars A A which inturn are supported wholly by the trusses, the weight of the mass ofmaterial on the bench tends to sag the bottom thereof at a point betweenits ends, thus exerting a downward pressure on the trusses at anintermediate point, whereby the trusses are tensioned and caused to drawthe end bars A A toward each other, thereby effecting an edgewisecompression of the bottom sections, or in other words, opposing theresistance of the sections and the tension of the trusses one againstthe other. It is apparent, therefore, that under this action of theparts the structure may be made very light and at the same time possessgreat strength and durability,- adapting it to withstand without injuryor breakage the severe strains resulting from the heavy weight of themass of soil resting on the bottom of the bench.

Rising from the bottom of the bench at the edges of the same, are sideboards D 1) connected at their ends by end boards D for the purpose ofconfining the soil. These boards are suitably connected together to forma rectangular structure to surround the bottom, the side boards D Dresting at their lower edges on the outer extremities of the lowerflanges of the cross-bars, which flanges are exposed at thesepoints bycutting away a portion of the vertical web in order to leave a flatsupporting seat. The side boards are held securely down on these seatsby means of clipsF fastened at their lower ends to the under sides ofthe two end crossbars, and extending upward therefrom along the outersides of the side boards and engaging over their upper edges as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3.

The side boards applied in the manner described serve to maintain thetrussed frame in shape while the tiles are being set in place, and theyalso serve to prevent the frame from'twisting in the event of its beingunevenly loaded.

It will be understood that the details of my improved structure may bevariously modified and changed without departing from the principles ofconstruction as illustrated and described. For instance, a greater orless number of cross-bars may be employed, and a greater or less numberof tension rods used; and other means than those shown may be employedfor holding the side boards down on their seats, the essence of theinvention residing in combining with a trussed supportingframe, a bottomso disposed as to form in effect in connection with said frame, theupper or compression side of a trussed beam.

The bench may be supported above the ground in any suitable manner, butI prefer to employ legs G in the form of piping, provided at their upperends with clips H adapt ed to embrace the lower flanges of the endcross-bars near their outer extremities.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a green-housebench, the combination of end cross bars, tension rods connected withand extended between said end bars, an intermediate supporting cross bararranged above and sustained wholly by the tension rods, and a bottommounted on and sustained by said cross bars.

2. In a greenhouse bench, the combination of end cross bars, tensionrods extended between and connected with said cross bars, anintermediate cross bar arranged above and sustained wholly by thetension rods, and a sectional bottom mounted on and sustained by saidcross bars.

3. In a green-house bench, the combination of end cross bars, tensionrods extended between and connected with said cross bars, anintermediate cross bar, struts interposed between said intermediate barand rods for supporting the latter wholly by the former, and a bottommounted on and sustained by said cross bars.

4. In a green-house bench, the combination of end cross bars, tensionrods extended between and connected with said cross bars,

a plurality of intermediate cross bars arranged above and sustainedwholly by the tension rods, and a bottom mounted on and sustained by thecross bars and adapted to receive an edgewise compression when the rodsare tensioned under the weight of a load on the bottom.

5. In a green-house bench, the combination of end cross bars providedwith hori- Zontal supporting ledges, tension rods extended between andconnected with said cross bars, an intermediate cross bar arranged aboveand sustained wholly by the tension rods and having horizontalsupporting ledges and bottom sections arranged between the cross barsand seated on the supporting ledges.

6. In a green-house bench, the combination of a frame embodying endcross bars, tension rods extended between and connected with said endbars, an intermediate cross bar arranged above and sustained wholly bythe tension rods and adapted, together with the end bars, to support abottom, and side boards mounted on and contions arranged between thecross bars With nected with the end cross bars and serving their endsresting on the ledges and abutting to prevent twisting of the frame.against the vertical Webs.

7. In a green-house bench, the combina- In testimony whereof I hereuntoset my 5 tion of end cross bars, tension rods extended hand this 26thday of November, 1906, in the r 5 between and connected with said crossbars, presence of two attesting witnesses.

an intermediate cross bar arranged above ROBERT 0. KING. and sustainedwholly by the tension rods, Witnesses: said cross bars having horizontalsupporting COVERT ROBERTSON.

1o ledges and vertical webs, and bottom sec- EDW. W. MESSING.

